Bad Reputation (Shawn Mendes)

six

FLASHBACK

I used to love going to the beach and swimming in the sea. Every time a wave was approaching I would get down in the water so only my head was out of it and then jump up when the it got close enough, the wave crashed into me and pushed me back. I used to hover above the water for a few seconds and then the water would bring me back when the wave went back in. Its scares me now to think that jumping in front of waves entertained me so much and I hate thinking about how dangerous it was and still is.

Me and my parents met with their friend and her three children for a day at the beach, we used to go there a lot and we swam in the sea many times. We began our day at the beach with a quick lunch sitting around one of the benches that were randomly dotted around the beach. I was 13 at the time and could swim extremely well. In fact I was one of the best swimmers in my class.

I learnt a valuable lesson that day, one lesson I will never forget.

I remember swimming into the sea and staying close to the shore. I didn't want to stand on the rocks because they hurt my feet and for some reason so I left the shoes I wear in the sea at home. I used to stay in the water for ages. I laid back hovering over the water until I saw mum stand up and get her purse out of her bag. I knew exactly what she was about to do, she does the same thing every time we went to the beach. She got out a notebook and went around to everyone asking them what they wanted at the chip shop. She always wrote down everyone's orders, she was just organised like that. After she asked everyone she calIed out my name. I immediately got up to try and turn around but the ground beneath my feet suddenly disappeared and I was sucked into the water. I panicked as the water touched my face and every time I kicked my legs to try and find something to stand on I failed.
I tried to push my way up to the surface but the water was too strong and kept pulling me down.
I managed to find some sand on the ground and was able to push myself up. My head poked above the water for a few seconds but it wasn't long enough for me to shout for someone. When I opened my mouth the salty water hit the back of it making me cough under water sending bubbles flying out of my mouth and straight up the the surface.
I kicked my legs trying to find the ground again but I had no luck. I tried to swim closer to the shore but the current was like a brick wall keeping me back.
I was running out of breath fast and both my arms and legs were aching more as I moved. I managed to get my mouth above the water to take a deep breath. I quickly shouted for dad but only "Da" came out as a small wave hit the back of my neck pushing me back under the water.
The current dramatically changed making every stroke I made with my arms and legs twice as hard. Just as I was about to give up my foot touched a rock sticking out of the ground.
I quickly pushed against it and kicked my legs and arms as fast as I could to get my head above the surface. It worked. My head burst out of the water, this time I was able to shout properly grabbing dads attention.
He started running towards me but before he got into the water a giant wave crashed against my back sending me head first into a large rock. My head smacked against it and everything went black.
I woke up in a hospital bed with machines bleeping and a tube stuck in my arm. The bright light made my eyes hurt and as I opened my eyes I heard mum's voice. I looked to my left and saw her and Dad sitting beside me. Mum had a tissue in her hand and her eyes were puffy and red. I tried to sit up but I moved too quickly making a sharp pain to run across my head. I placed my hand on my head and felt a bandage.
"What happened?" I was confused and looked straight at Mum for answers.
"When you were swimming in the sea the ground underneath you dropped creating a strong current. You got trapped in it and a wave crashed down on you making you hit your head on a rock. We had to call 999 and a very kind paramedic came to help. Unfortunately CPR didn't work so the air ambulance was called and a helicopter quickly brought you here."
I was speechless, I don't know what to say. This had never happened to me before, in fact I had never been to hospital before so everything was new to me.
What scared me the most wasn't actually drowning, it was seeing Mum at the hospital. I saw how upset she was, she looked awful. She hadn't slept, she was still wearing the same clothes as before and she hadn't eaten a thing.
I couldn't bare seeing her like that, she was my best friend and closest person to me. From that moment on I vowed to myself that I would never go in the sea again.
And I haven't been in since.

***AUTHORS NOTE***

Heres chapter 6, this is a flashback to an incident that occurred when Jazz was 13.
Sorry if it drags this chapter was extremely hard to write.

Anyway, I apologise for any spelling or grammar mistakes, please feel free to comment and also please vote!☺️

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